A water-based pigment dispersion comprising 100 parts by weight of a pigment, 3 to 30 parts by weight of a sulfonic acid group-containing pigment derivative and water, wherein the sulfonic acid group-containing pigment derivative has only one sulfonic acid group in a molecule of a pigment of which the type is the same as the type of the pigment to be dispersed, the sulfonic acid group forms at least one salt selected from the group consisting of ammonia salt, an organic amine salt and a salt in which at least 15% of the sulfonic acid group is liberated and the rest is a salt with monovalent metal, the content of metal ion having a valence of at least 2 in a solid matter of the above water-based pigment dispersion is 500 ppm or less, and the above pigment is dispersed in water according to electrostatic repulsion due to the sulfonic acid group-containing pigment derivative adsorbed on the particle surface of the pigment, an inkjet recording liquid containing the same and process for the production thereof.